Hans Beckhoff is now a member of the Family Business Hall of Fame

A billion-dollar company driven by a pioneering spirit and technological innovation

Since he founded Beckhoff Automation in 1980, Hans Beckhoff (70), Managing Director, has consistently focused on innovation in the automation of machinery, buildings and energy supply, among other things. On Jan. 29, 2025, he was honored by Handelsblatt (a German business newspaper), KPMG and the Stiftung Familienunternehmen (the foundation for family businesses) for his achievements as an entrepreneur and inducted into the Hall of Fame for family businesses.

At the ceremony in Munich, Hans Beckhoff was honored in the presence of more than 170 entrepreneurs. He has kept up the pace of innovation at his technology company for 45 years, which is not easy. He is driving the digital transformation rather than being led by it. Nor has he lost sight of the global challenges of our time, such as climate change. Hans Beckhoff has seen that advanced automation technology is hugely important here. It lays the foundation for improving sustainability, along with energy and resource efficiency, in line with Beckhoff's motto: "Engineers must save the world!"

The company's claim to be a technology leader is consistently reflected in its technical innovations, which have even proved revolutionary - many have become global market standards in automation. A prime example of this is the fundamental Beckhoff philosophy of PC-based control technology, which harnesses the tremendous development power of the IT world for industrial applications. Automation and IT come together in PC-based control, which Beckhoff launched as early as 1986 and which is now indispensable in a wide range of industries, such as packaging, semiconductor and automotive, and specifically implemented for high-performance applications. Another milestone is the bus terminal, fieldbus technology in terminal block format, which was introduced in 1995.

This basic building block of automation made it possible to implement powerful compact, modular and finely distributed control systems tailored to individual requirements. In 2003, Beckhoff launched the ultra-fast EtherCAT communication system, which has become an important world standard for high-performance automation. Today, more than 8,000 companies from around the world are part of the EtherCAT Technology Group and support this fascinating technology. Although Beckhoff is known for its innovations and revolutions, the system concept remains entrenched. Control tasks today are solved end-to-end with Beckhoff technology: from the modular TwinCAT control software with artificial intelligence functions, powerful industrial PCs and EtherCAT, to modular I/O components, flexible drive technology and intelligent product transport, through machine vision and automation without control cabinets with a comprehensive hardware and software portfolio.

Hans Beckhoff has also passed on his enthusiasm for automation and innovation to the next generation. His children Frederike and Johannes Beckhoff have held leadership positions in the company for several years. 45 years after its founding, Beckhoff Automation thus remains a family business and will remain so in the future.